Hours before end of NHL lockout, Abdelkader called waiting game 'frustrating'

Muskegon's Justin Abdelkader, a member of the Detroit Red Wings, has a shot knocked away by Anaheim goalie Jonas Hiller in an NHL game last season. A deal to end the NHL lockout has been reached and the season is expected to start by Jan. 19.The Associated Press

The interview was only hours before the NHL and the NHL Players Association reached a tentative agreement to a 10-year bargaining deal early Sunday morning.

The Mona Shores graduate has been spending the majority of his time in the Detroit area skating and working out and some time back home in Muskegon during the 113-day work stoppage.

Abdelkader said he had been hearing some positive news coming out of the meetings and was hopeful a deal could be done.

Now, he’s ready to play. He said Saturday the time off the ice has been frustrating for players and fans alike.

“You feel for all the players. Your career is only for so long and to lose a year would be a big deal,” he said. “I think the average career for an NHL player is less than five years, so missing a significant amount of time is frustrating.

“At the same time, we know it’s a business and we’re not only looking out for ourselves, but for future players.”

Abdelkader said he wasn’t sure what the fan reaction would be or any long-lasting damage to the sport.

“It’s tough. We hope they all come back when we get back on the ice,” he said.

Once the deal is ratified as expected, the league will release a schedule, either 48 or 50 games and feature matchups entirely within the conference. The expected start date will be no later than Jan. 19.

The Winter Classic, which was supposed to include Detroit as the host team for an outdoor game, was canceled. Abdelkader said Detroit would get the Winter Classic back next year.

Just resuming his hockey career will be exciting for Abdelkader. If the NHL season had been wiped out, he was considering playing overseas.

Abdelkader has played in more than 200 games for the Red Wings since making his debut with the team in the 2007-08 season. He has been a regular with the Red Wings since 2009-10 and signed a four-year contract in September.

“For me, I’ve never been through a lockout, so to not be playing hockey this time of year is kind of weird. It kind of eats at you,” he said. “You want to be out there playing. But it’s a business. For as much as we love playing the game and love being out there, there’s a business aspect to it, too.”